Wickramasinghe's threat shows its 'bad days' for India: Cong

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 07 2015 | 7:13 PM IST
Targeting NDA government over Sri Lankan premier Ranil Wickramasinghe's controversial remarks that Indian fishermen may be shot if they intruded into their waters, Congress today said it was "bad days" for India if foreign countries felt no qualms while making such threats.
"It's "bure din" for India if SL can dare to flash eyes to India as it hs on fishermen's issues," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said in a series of tweets.
"It seems the #56InchChest was only for Indian voters and not for foreign threats," he said in another tweet.
Singvi also criticised Wickramasinghe for his remarks and said he does not "deserve" to be Sri Lanka's PM if he cannot differentiate between intruders and straying fishermen.
"Yes Mr Ranil, u can shoot intruders entering ur house; bt if u shoot straying innocent bystanders u r liable to be shot at, tried 4 murder."
"If Sri Lankan PM cannot differentiate between intruders & straying fishermen & finds shooting as only option, he doesn't deserve to be PM!" he tweeted.
Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed expressed shock over Ranil's statement. "On the eve of PM Modi's tour to Sri Lanka, its PM says if Indian fishermen will enter our territory we will shoot them."
"A lasting situation should be found, no extreme action should be taken by SL defence forces," Anand Sharma, another Congress spokesperson, posted on Twitter.
Ahead of Modi's visit to Sri Lanka, Wickramasinghe stoked a controversy suggesting that Indian fishermen may be shot if they intruded into Sri Lankan waters.
Alleging that Indian fishermen were taking away the livelihood of Northern Lanka fishermen, he told a Tamil TV channel that, "If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot. If he gets killed...Law allows me to do that."
Talking about the fishermen issue, he said, "As far as I'm concerned, I have very very strong lines. This is our waters...Fishermen of Jaffna should be allowed to fish. We stopped them from fishing, that's why the Indian fishermen came in, they are willing to have a deal...Let's have a reasonable deal. But not at the expense of the income of the Northern Fishermen...No.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 07 2015 | 7:13 PM IST

Next Story